Emergency programs generally focus on short-term relief rather than on sustainable development. However, by adopting a knowledge-based approach, two emergency projects launched in response to the rice-price crisis of 2008 in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) not only met immediate relief goals but also put in place efficient systems to boost rice production in the medium and long term. With nearly 40% of the rice consumed in Africa coming from the international market, African national rice economies are very vulnerable to unpredictable external supply and price shocks.
The first emergency rice project, which ran for two years (2009–10), provided access to subsidized seed of improved rice varieties, fertilizer, and improved crop management methods to about 56,000 vulnerable rice farmers, including 11,070 women, across Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal. The project trained nearly 3,000 farmers, including about 600 women, in improved rice production and processing techniques, mainly through videos in local languages. Agro-input dealers were trained in business management.
The project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and carried out by AfricaRice in partnership with national programs, the International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC), and the Catholic Relief Services. For more information see the research brief “Emergency initiative to boost rice production in Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal”.
Participating farmers increased their rice yield by up to 100% in 2010 compared with the yields they achieved in 2008. Over the two years, the project helped produce nearly 106,000 tons of paddy (some 51,000 tons more than in 2008) worth about US$22.8 million at 2010 prices.
Several key changes assure the long-term sustainability of the gains achieved through the project, including farmers’ adoption of improved technologies (seed, fertilizer, best-bet rice production practices); national rice initiatives; and the linkages established by the project among stakeholders in the rice value chain.
The second emergency project aimed to improve farmers’ access to rice seed in 20 countries in SSA covered by the Coalition for African Rice Development and to build a rice data system for the region. Funded by the Japanese Government the project was carried out by AfricaRice in 2009 and 2010 together with over 70 partners, including national programs, seed companies, agro-dealers, and non-governmental organizations. For more information see the report “Improving access to rice seed and building a rice data system for sub‐Saharan Africa (Japan Emergency Project)”
The project not only provided more than 58,000 vulnerable farmers with quality rice seed, but it also strengthened the formal seed system in the project countries. It provided direct training in quality seed production to more than 560 technicians and extension workers, including 190 women, who in turn trained some 14,000 extension workers.
For the first time, detailed rice statistics and information on nationally representative samples were collected by agricultural research systems and statistical services in the project countries, with technical support of AfricaRice. To do this efficiently, the project facilitated training workshops to guide the national partners in the design and implementation of surveys to collect reliable data on rice, and encouraged them to adopt new sample frames and sampling methodologies with a view to regional harmonization.
These rice statistics are critical for quality research and evidence-based policy formulation and will provide a solid basis for analyzing future trends in rice production in the project countries.
For more information on Emergency Rice Projects, see AfricaRice Annual Report 2010.
Photo credit: R. Raman/AfricaRice
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